Minembwe, DR Congo — December 6, 2025
Four Belgian Mercenaries Killed After Military Helicopter Shot Down During Attack on Banyamulenge Civilians
Reports from local sources confirm that a Belgian military helicopter involved in an attack on Banyamulenge civilians was shot down on December 6th, resulting in the deaths of four Belgian mercenaries. The aircraft crashed into Lake Tanganyika after being struck by defensive fire from Twirwaneho self-defence forces.
According to verified local reports, the helicopter was actively firing on civilian populations in Mikenke and later targeted residential areas protected by Twirwaneho armed civilians. When the helicopter began dropping bombs, a Twirwaneho defender shot the aircraft, severely injuring the crew. The helicopter continued flying only momentarily before crashing into Lake Tanganyika, where both mercenaries were recovered dead.
Foreign Mercenary Involvement Condemned
These Belgian mercenaries are among the many foreign fighters reportedly backing President Tshisekedi's government in its violent campaign against Congolese Tutsis—a community increasingly targeted through state-enabled tribalism. Rather than supplying urgently needed humanitarian relief, Belgium has deployed armed contractors, deepening its historical pattern of interference in ethnic conflicts across the Great Lakes region.
Evidence continues to point to significant external support, particularly from Burundi and Belgium, for armed groups whose stated objective is the eradication of Congolese Tutsis from their ancestral homeland.
Banyamulenge Region Under Siege
Burundian forces, alongside Mai-Mai ("Wazalendo") militias, the FDLR (Interahamwe génocidaires), and congolese forces, the FARDC, have effectively sealed off all routes into the Banyamulenge region of Mulenge. The population now lives under siege-like conditions, comparable to an open-air concentration camp. Residents are unable to enter or leave the region and have been cut off from essential supplies, including salt, sugar, medicine, soap, and cooking oil. On the night of December 5th, Burundian forces reportedly killed four men and kidnapped more than ten women who risked leaving their villages in search of basic necessities.
Escalating Atrocities and Moral Decay Among Belligerents
The participation of Belgian mercenaries alongside Burundian and ethnic militias raises urgent ethical, legal, and humanitarian concerns. Their involvement in the attempted extermination of the Banyamulenge population highlights a profound moral collapse among the political and military actors funding and executing this campaign.
Those involved—whether foreign mercenaries, Burundian officials, Congolese politicians, or Wazalendo militia members—demonstrate a complete absence of integrity, compassion, or accountability. History suggests that such actors often meet bleak ends: poverty, disgrace, or lifelong regret. As the conflict shifts and the anticipated capture of Uvira approaches, many perpetrators may ultimately confront the consequences of their actions.
Muhoza Ak,
Editor in Chief
Journal Minembwe
